Río Chicoana is a 61-kilometer river located in the Valle de Lerma in the Departamento de Chicoana, Salta province, in northwest Argentina. It originates in the Cordillera Oriental and flows through the town of Chicoana before emptying into the Río Rosario, near the point where that river enters the Embalse Cabra Corral. Its drainage basin covers 1,063 km². The river's tributaries include Quebrada La Yesera and the quebrada de Malcante.

Flow on the Río Chicoana is highly seasonal, driven by a monsoon-type climate in which rainfall occurs almost exclusively during the warm months. Gauging at San Gabriel has recorded a mean discharge of 24.4 m³/s, with the monthly average peaking at 71.4 m³/s in February and dropping to a minimum average of 9.4 m³/s in October. Historical peak flows have reached 329 m³/s. Paddlers should be aware that summer months bring dramatically elevated and potentially dangerous water levels, while October represents the low-water period. The lower section of the river has very little gradient and is prone to flooding.

The river passes through the southwest portion of the Valle de Lerma, the most densely populated region of Salta province, and the town of Chicoana sits just south of the river. The surrounding landscape includes the Quebrada de Escoipe, which serves as the northern approach to the Valles Calchaquíes. The area is approximately 47 km from the city of Salta.